Cowboys lose cornerback CJ Goodwin for season to torn pectoral muscle

Dallas Cowboys cornerback CJ Goodwin tore his pectoral muscle in the team’s loss to the 49ers on Sunday, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter. The injury means the special teams ace will have to sit out the rest of the 2023 season. Goodwin signed a brand new deal with Dallas for one year during the offseason.

So far this year, the former California Vulcan has four tackles for the Cowboys, including one from Sunday night’s game.

Goodwin played the 2021 and 2022 seasons on a two-year, $3.5 million deal. He was the team’s special teams tackles leader in 2020 and 2021 and followed it up with an eight-tackle season in 2022.

Goodwin, a West Virginia native, played his college football at three different schools before joining the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2014. His first deal with the Steelers was for three years and $1.53 million but they ultimately waved him.

The Cowboys special teamer is in his eighth season in the NFL. He’s had stints with Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Arizona, New York, Cincinnati and San Francisco. However, his tenure in Dallas has been the longest. Goodwin started his Cowboys career playing in three games in 2018 but became a staple in 2019.

Cowboys return man KaVontae Turpin suffers serious injury

The Dallas Cowboys could be without star return man and wide receiver KaVontae Turpin for four-to-six weeks after he left the game against the 49ers early due to injury. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the team believes Turpin has a high-ankle sprain, which has a rough return timeline of a month.

The Cowboys are having the wideout undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the full severity of the injury. If it is on the more severe side, they could put him on the Injured Reserve, which means a mandatory four weeks out.

Prior to his exit, Turpin hauled in a beautifully lofted 26-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott in the second quarter. However, not much else could go right for Dallas on Sunday Night Football, as they were demolished by the 49ers to the tune of a 42-10 beatdown.

The Monroe, Louisiana native played for TCU under Gary Patterson from 2015-2018. He returned to the state of Texas for his chance with the Cowboys where he made the Pro Bowl last season.

Turpin showed off his breakaway potential in Fort Worth, recording a punt return touchdown in each of his four seasons on campus. He also had one kick return touchdown a piece during his junior and senior years.

Last season, Turpin recorded 508 kick return yards and another 303 on punts during the regular slate. In the Cowboys’ two playoff games, he totaled 155 yards on kickoffs. As a receiver, he had one catch for nine yards.